How useful are mushrooms? The difference between store-bought and wild mushrooms, how to collect

Mushrooms are a real treasure trove of vitamins and useful substances that our body needs. But for many people this product is associated not only with eating, but also with the very process of gathering. Forest, fresh air, silence and full concentration not to miss their prey – what is not a great activity? However, not all mushrooms can be cut and safely put in the basket. Yes, and choose them in the store should be cautious, despite a number of useful properties. But let’s talk about everything in order!

Benefits of mushrooms for the body

We begin with a story about the valuable properties of mushrooms. After all, before going to the store or into the forest, it is worth knowing what you are going for.

They contain a lot of valuable substances

As we have already said, mushrooms are rich in substances necessary for the body: protein, vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, folic and nicotinic acids. Together they have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, strengthen bone tissue and stimulate hematopoiesis – the process of formation of blood cells. In addition, the product of plant origin has no cholesterol at all.

Useful for the heart and in the prevention of anemia

The most good in this regard are hogs or, in other words, white mushrooms. They contain a lot of nicotinic acid – vitamin PP, which has a beneficial effect on the heart. Therefore, nutritionists often advise eating soup from fresh porcini mushrooms to strengthen the walls of the myocardium.

More porcini mushrooms contain enough iron salts to serve as a good tool in the prevention of iron deficiency anemia.

Strengthen the immune system and save from colds

Chanterelles perfectly stimulate the immune system, so they are not called natural antibiotics for nothing. These mushrooms contain many vitamins of groups A and B, selenium and zinc. In addition, chanterelles can restore damaged cells of the pancreas.

But in pears there are substances similar to antibiotics, which strengthen the mucous membranes of the lungs and bronchi, which is extremely useful in the season of colds. The same type of mushrooms is the only vegetable source of vitamin D, a means of preventing kidney stones and suppressing Koch’s bacilli.

Not harmful to people with diabetes mellitus

On the contrary, they can even be beneficial to them. Mushrooms contain slow carbohydrates, represented by dietary fiber. They, unlike fast carbohydrates, allow you to reduce blood sugar levels.

Have an antitumor effect

It is due to the presence of lectin proteins in mushrooms. Currently, they are actively researched in the field of oncology and, as it turns out, are literally a trap for tumor cells.

Purchased or forest: which mushrooms to choose?

It is not uncommon to hear the opinion that the products sold in supermarkets have nothing in common with those that ripen naturally in nature. To find out if there are any useful mushrooms among artificially grown mushrooms, we asked nutritionist and nutritionist Anna Berseneva for help.

Anna: Actually, like any product, mushrooms can be very good for some people, but not for others. The most neutral mushrooms, which are a source of vegetable protein (not the best, but nevertheless quite light and well digested), micronutrients and, most beautifully, vitamin D, are oyster mushrooms and mushrooms. These are artificially grown mushrooms. The specifics of their cultivation is that the last few hours they are exposed to ultraviolet light, accumulate vitamin D, which then enters our body.

Still, our expert recommended to choose products in the store with caution. Here are the criteria you should pay attention to.

Appearance. There should not be mold, dubious fluff on the mushrooms, they should not be slimy.
Odor. There should not be an acidic, excessively bright, artificial odor that spreads to the whole apartment when you open the package. Mushrooms should smell like mushrooms.

When buying, the nutritionist advised us to remember our childhood and how the mushrooms we collected in nature looked and smelled. This is the reference point. By the way, among the forest mushrooms nutritionist also identified two species that are most useful for the body.

Anna: Porcini and chanterelles are among the most useful. Because they are least likely to find toxins and harmful substances that can accumulate in other mushrooms. They are also a source of protein.

What is the right way to pick mushrooms in the forest?

For now, it is too early to go to nature for a source of vitamins and protein. The beginning of summer is not the season for mushroom pickers, but there is not much left until August. It is at this time that the number of their species and types becomes extremely large and remains so throughout the fall. Before going to the forest, it is worth knowing a few simple rules that will help not to confuse an edible mushroom from a poisonous one.

Not for everyone: contraindications to consumption

Adding mushrooms to the daily diet should be approached with caution. First, it is necessary to take into account the daily norm, and secondly, to know for sure whether you have contraindications to use.

Anna: Mushrooms should not be eaten every day. For people who love them and who have no contraindications, I recommend not more than twice a week. The ideal option is to make a warm salad with mushrooms. That is, on a pillow of green leaves to lay mushrooms so that the greens as a natural source of enzymes and fiber to help break down the source of protein. And so there should not be more than 100 grams of mushrooms in a serving. For example: 40 grams of leafy greens, 100 grams of mushrooms, 50-100 grams of vegetables – and we have a good portion.

You should not eat mushrooms in general people with pancreatitis, those who have difficulties with the pancreas and enzyme deficiency. Because they require enough enzymes to digest and process properly.

It is also not recommended to eat mushrooms fresh – it is best to eat them boiled or stewed after boiling. Nutrition experts recommend adding them to vegetable and cereal dishes. But white mushrooms should not be served with meat and potatoes. Mushroom proteins can come into conflict with meat proteins, and this is fraught with unpleasant sensations in the stomach. And starch will slow down the already long digestion of hogs.